ODDBALLS

Alfa Romeo SZ

The Alfa 75 saloon was as comfortable to look at as the equatorial sun, with weird angles and odd proportions embellished with clods of black plastic. So in 1991, when Alfa chose it to underpin a new, limited-run performance coupé to exercise the company’s reserves of brio, hopes were high for something more swoonsome.

That the Italian public nicknamed the resulting SZ ‘The monster’ explains its poor reception and ensuing sub£20,000 residuals. But the SZ (and its drop-top brother, the RZ) has since flourished in its eccentricity, aided by a singing 3.0-litre V6 and tidy rear-drive handling, with prices swelling to £50,000 and beyond.

One to watch: Alpine GTA/ A610 (1984-1995), from £10,000

Renault-owned Alpine is back in the limelight thanks to the A110 coupé that’s due to launch next year, raising interest in the angular GTA and subsequent A610. Both use rear-mounted V6 engines, the A610’s turbocharged 3.0-litre unit good for 250bhp.